El Salvador stadium stampede: Arrest warrant for 5 people

The Public Prosecutor’s Office in El Salvador has ordered the arrest of five individuals in connection with the tragic stampede that occurred at the Cuscatlan stadium over the weekend. The incident, which took place during the second leg of the quarter-final playoffs between Alianza FC and Club Deportivo, resulted in the deaths of 12 fans. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has named three officials from Alianza FC, including the president, security manager, and financial manager, as well as the general manager of Estadios Deportivos de El Salvador (EDESSA) and the person responsible for the stadium keys. These individuals will be prosecuted for culpable homicide, culpable injury, and public damage. The Prosecutor’s Office has stated that “negligence in the organization and greed, by over-selling, generated a human avalanche that caused the loss of lives, as well as injuries and endangered the safety of the attendees. They will be brought before the courts in the coming days.” The investigation revealed that the gates provided were not sufficient for the number of fans, and the entrances were not opened early enough for an orderly and safe entry. The organizers had sold out the tickets available for the sporting event and decided to illegally sell tickets issued for previous matches. The Salvadoran Football Federation has fined Alianza FC $30,000 and handed down a one-year stadium ban. El Salvador’s football authorities have also ended the 2022-2023 professional league championship to focus on reinforcing security measures for future events.